Page 25 of A Very Bookish Murder (Ally McKinley Mystery #3)
‘No, they came out head first, just like they’re supposed to,’ Ally replied with a grin.
‘Mrs Fraser said they were awful big,’ Queenie put in.
‘Big for twins,’ Ally confirmed. ‘And the fact they were early.’
‘Mrs Fraser wiz sayin’ that the earl’s missus needed stitching,’ Queenie added.
‘Aye, well,’ said Mrs Red Nose, ‘she’ll no likely be wantin’ his lordship anywhere near her for a bit, will she?’
A tiny elderly woman, with a crocheted green beret perched jauntily on top of her golden curls, had emerged from behind the aisle of tins. ‘Aye,’ she agreed, ‘and the earl’s no goin’ to be likin’ that, is he? Randy old bugger!’
‘He’ll be off back to that Englishwoman with the funny name, up at Loch Trioch,’ said Queenie, ‘and you mark my words!’
‘I think you’re being very unkind,’ Ally said. ‘The earl has finally met his match, and he and his wife are very happy together.’
There was silence as Ally paid for her groceries.
An hour after Ally got home, Hamish rang.
‘Magda and I were wondering if you and Ross would like to join us for afternoon tea? And maybe a wee drop of something to wet the babies’ heads?’
‘Unfortunately, Ross is having to do an afternoon shift at the surgery today, but I’d love to pop in to see your wee lads, but only for a short time.
’ Magda might not be exhausted, but I am , Ally thought.
She wondered again how Magda would cope, having refused help of any kind, and remembered her own bewilderment when Jamie was born and she’d been left on her own all day to manage as best she could.
She recalled that she’d rarely got out of her nightdress before lunchtime. If then.
She didn’t feel she could arrive empty-handed on such an auspicious occasion so she looked round desperately for something to take with her, and then found the bottle of champagne she had lurking in the fridge for an appropriate occasion. This was it.
As she walked up to the castle, Ally smiled as she saw the flag flying on top of the turret. Was there ever a better occasion to celebrate? When she reached the door, even Mrs Fraser was smiling, which was a miracle in itself.
‘Oh, they’re right bonny wee lads!’ she enthused as she accompanied Ally to the Sinclair room. ‘I’m never goin’ to forget seein’ them comin’ into the world!’
On entering the room, Ally was impressed to see that Magda was not only fully made-up and dressed, but appeared composed too.
She had to remember, of course, that Magda did not have to do any cleaning, shopping, cooking or any domestic chores, and doubtless Mrs Fraser would be glad to help with the babies too.
She kissed both Magda and Hamish on the cheek, handed over the champagne and walked across the room to admire the two babies, sleeping soundly together in a large wicker cradle.
‘How kind!’ said Hamish, expertly opening the champagne and pouring some into three flutes which just happened to be on the sideboard.
‘Thank you so much for last night,’ Magda said. ‘I’m not sure I could have kept going if it wasn’t for you and Ross.’
‘It was a privilege,’ Ally said truthfully, accepting a glass from Hamish. ‘You did so well! I think you must be designed to have babies.’
Just then, Mrs Fraser came trundling in with her trolley-load of goodies.
Magda stood up and, after glancing briefly at her sleeping sons, helped herself to a mountain of sandwiches. ‘I keep feeling hungry,’ she explained as she sat down again.
Hamish, apart from admiring his sons every couple of minutes, wanted to know how the murder enquiries were going, and did she think that this Kandahar fellow was up to the job.
‘Most definitely,’ Ally assured him, ‘but he’s got a lot on his plate.’
‘I hope you’re not in danger,’ Magda said, attacking a second sandwich.
‘Oh no, I’m fine,’ Ally replied. ‘I do realise I could have a murderer under my roof, but I don’t honestly think they’d have reason to kill me.
’ Yet , Ally thought. Perhaps they will if I appear to be asking too many questions .
She thought briefly about poor Joyce and nibbled on her smoked salmon sandwich.
‘I feel we might be coming to a conclusion,’ she added hopefully.
At that moment, one of the babies began to wail, and then the other one joined in.
Hamish lifted one of them out of the cradle and handed him to Ally, who hastily replaced her sandwich on the table.
It was several years since she’d handled a newborn, and that sense of awe and wonder came flooding back.
It was also years since she’d seen babies swaddled, as these two were.
‘Can I unwrap him?’ she asked Magda, who was comforting his brother.
‘Yes, of course.’
As Ally unwrapped the baby, having no idea which one he was, she marvelled again at the sheer perfection of his tiny pink body, the translucent veins, the wispy hair and the damp nappy. ‘He needs changing,’ she said to Magda.
‘After I’ve fed them,’ Magda said firmly, unbuttoning her top in readiness.
‘Time I went home,’ Ally said, wrapping the baby up again and laying him down gently.
She was stirred by the memories of her own two babies, all those years ago!
There was just something wonderful about holding your own precious little bundle – even Carol, who’d howled her way through the first year!
And then she thought of poor Jodi. Would Jodi have tried to avoid holding her baby, knowing that she was going to have to give it up?
Or would she, instinctively as a mother, be unable to resist cuddling it, knowing the heartbreak that was to come?
For the first time, Ally felt incredibly sad for Jodi Jones.